Collaborative Undergraduate HBCU Student Summer Prostate Cancer Training Program

Abstract

Abstract : There is a critical need to increase the number of racially and ethnically diverse prostate cancer researchers. The purpose of this 3-year project is to develop a prostate cancer research training program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with 12 students from the following three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in South Carolina: Claflin University, South Carolina State University, and Voorhees College. These Student Fellows will participate in research internships in the laboratories/research units of senior prostate cancer research scientists at MUSC. The specific aims of the project are as follows: (1) to provide training in the basics of research design and methods to four Student Fellows each year through participation in the MUSC Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), and (2) to immerse four Student Fellows each year in a prostate cancer research training curriculum. In 2009, four Student Fellows were identified, recruited to participate, and admitted to the DoD Collaborative Undergraduate HBCU Student Summer Prostate Cancer Training Program. The Student Fellows were matched with Research Mentors at MUSC, with whom they conducted research in the summer of 2009. Each Student Fellow prepared a scientific paper and gave a scientific presentation at the end of the Training Program. Each Student Fellow also completed an 8-week Kaplan Graduate Record Examination Test Preparation Course at a local Kaplan Center. A total of 73 students from the three HBCUs attended the Ernest E. Just Symposium at MUSC in February of 2010. In summary, in the summer of 2009, we provided state-of-the art comprehensive prostate cancer research education and training opportunities for four Student Fellows from HBCUs in South Carolina. Each Student Fellow prepared a scientific paper and gave a scientific presentation. Four Student Fellows have been selected to participate in the Training Program during the Summer of 2010.